Sunwing Sandy Bay Hotel in Cyprus

Regular readers of this blog will know that every year we run the Cristal awards, honouring hotels that have worked hard to achieve consistently exceptional levels of health and safety. Last year The Parador de Santiago de Compostela in Spain won the global award.

This year The Sunwing Sandy Bay Hotel in Cyprus was awarded the prestigious accolade for its immaculate condition and a dedicated approach to the welfare of its guests.

It is never an easy decision to pick a winner as all the hotels that we work with undergo rigorous testing. It was a close call, but what impressed us about The Sunwing Sandy Bay Hotel was the attention to detail, consistent high scoring and general commitment to the wellbeing of its guests.

The Cristal Awards also recognise the highest scoring hotel from each country. The national winners are as follows:

 - Croatia – Iberostar Epidaurus

 - Czech Republic – Barceló Praha

 - Dominican Republic – Amhsa- Marine Grand Paradise

 - Egypt – Hyatt Regency Sharm

 - Germany – Barceló Cologne City Centre

 - Jamaica -  Gran Bahia Principe Jamaica

 - Jordan – Four Seasons Amman

 - Mexico – Barceló Maya

 - Montenegro – Iberostar Bellevue

 - Morocco – Hotel and Ryads Naoura Barriere

 - Saudi Arabia –Crowne Plaza

 - Spain – Sunwing Arguineguin

 - Syria – Four Seasons Damascus

 - Thailand – Sunwing Bangtao Beach Resort

 - Tunisa – Hotel Husdrubal Hammamet

 - Turkey – Pasah Bay

 Well done to everyone involved.

Teenage pop star Chipmunk has been unfortunate enough to catch food poisoning while on holiday in Jamaica. The singer was taking a much needed break ahead of his UK tour when he became unwell.

But don’t fear all you teeny boppers. Chipmunk is currently recovering well in a Jamaican hospital.

In light of Chipmunk’s misfortunes, I’d like to reiterate the importance of food hygiene on holiday with five useful tips to avoid food poisoning:

1. Eat in a clean environment. Whether you are staying in a 5-star hotel or backpacking in a hostel, if the place is poorly maintained or has evidence of pests in public areas then the parts you can’t see will probably be much worse.  For the sake of your holiday, it’s important not to compromise.

2. Make sure that you are the only thing that is pink and don’t accept undercooked foods.

3. Ensure that food is served hot not warm.  Your hotel may serve up a fantastic buffet with all the trimmings, but don’t feel you have to tuck into the food if it looks like it’s been left out for a while.

4. If the water quality in the area is suspect, be wary of washed salads and iced drinks. That Margarita on the beach may be a tempting offer, but waterborne bacteria can cause severe illnesses.

5. Outside the hotel, be careful of food in places where hygienic conditions are poor. Exploring a busy market or eating out to experience the authenticity of a destination may be exciting, but if that is followed by a visit to the local chemist or hospital then a holiday can be ruined.